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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Obey God, regardless (1)
19 NOVEMBER 2022

‘Jesus…learned obedience from the things he suffered.’
Hebrews 5:8 NLT

The rewards of obedience are awesome, but sometimes the process is agonising. ‘Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him’ (vv. 8-9 NLT). Before God promotes you to a position of usefulness in His service, He qualifies you. We admire the faith of Abraham who took his son Isaac up Mount Moriah and laid him on the altar. But the story doesn’t make sense until you read the first verse in the chapter: ‘Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham’ (Genesis 22:1 NKJV). What did God test? His faith! His obedience! And when he passed the test, God told him, ‘In blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed’ (Genesis 22:17 KJV).

Understand this: when you pray and ask God for success, you’re inviting Him to test your faith and obedience. God probably won’t test you at the same level He tested Jesus or Abraham. But it’s the smaller tests that prepare you to handle the bigger assignments in God’s kingdom. In The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis’ senior devil talks to his nephew Wormwood about their mutual enemy, the Lord. ‘Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.’ The obedience God desires from you today is obedience that rises above your feelings and circumstances and says, ‘Yes, Lord!’

Ezekiel 37-39, 1 Peter 2

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Obey God, regardless (2)
20 NOVEMBER 2022

‘We thought we would never live through it.’
2 Corinthians 1:8 NLT

Job describes the rewards of obedience: ‘If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity’ (Job 36:11 NKJV). John adds, ‘Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight’ (1 John 3:22 NKJV). But Paul describes the cost of obedience: ‘We think you ought to know…about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us’ (2 Corinthians 1:8-10 NLT).

Notice the words ‘He did rescue us…He will rescue us again…He will continue to rescue us’. God didn’t lift Paul out of his trouble, He walked with him in it and brought him through it. You say, ‘But I have asked God to help me understand the situation and He hasn’t.’ God doesn’t owe us an explanation, but He promises us an exit strategy. ‘No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it’ (1 Corinthians 10:13 MSG). So the word for today is – obey God, regardless.

Luke 22:31-46, Psalms 119:89-176

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Obey God, regardless (3)
21 NOVEMBER 2022

‘So that it might go well with them.’
Deuteronomy 5:29 NIV

What God commands you to do, He will give you the grace to do. But that doesn’t mean it will be easy. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were ordered by the king to be burned alive for refusing to worship his golden image. Notice their faith confession: 1) ‘Our God…is able to deliver us’ (Daniel 3:17 KJV). They never doubted God’s ability. 2) ‘And he will deliver us’ (v. 17). They never doubted God’s willingness. 3) ‘But if not,…we will not…worship the golden image’ (v. 18). They never considered an alternative to obedience!

How did their story turn out? ‘Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished…saying…“Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God”’ (vv. 24-25 NKJV). What happened next? ‘Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon’ (v. 30 NIV).

You say, ‘But this is the hardest thing I have ever been asked to do.’ When God asks you to do something you don’t want to do, or feel you can’t do, He has your best interests in mind. When your children say, ‘I can’t do this, it’s too hard,’ do you change your mind and let them off the hook? No, you insist, because it’s for their good. That’s how God feels about you: ‘Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them’ (Deuteronomy 5:29 NIV).

Ezekiel 40-41, 1 Peter 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Don’t keep your love in a box!
22 NOVEMBER 2022

‘She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.’
Mark 14:3 NIV

Mark records: ‘A woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume…She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, ‘Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold…and the money given to the poor.’ And they rebuked her harshly. ‘Leave her alone,’ said Jesus…‘She has done a beautiful thing …The poor you will always have with you…But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you… wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her’’ (Mark 14:3-9 NIV).

Joseph of Arimathea brought a hundred pounds of ointment to embalm Jesus after He was dead, and not a word of praise is spoken about it in Scripture. This woman brought one pound of ointment and poured it on Him while He was still living, and Jesus pointed out two things: a) ‘She did what she could.’ Acts of kindness are usually not about doing great things, but about doing small things with great love b) ‘What she has done will also be told, in memory of her.’ What will you be remembered for, a life of service or self-centredness?

If you think good things about someone, tell them. Go out of your way to fill their lives with joy while there’s still time. Those expressions of appreciation, those words of forgiveness, that special gift you’ve had in mind, give it while you can. Don’t keep your love in a box!

Ezekiel 42-44, 1 Peter 4

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Don’t let go of your vision!
23 NOVEMBER 2022

‘Where there is no vision, the people perish.’
Proverbs 29:18 KJV

God has a plan for your life; one that will help you see what’s truly important. It’s called a ‘vision’. Otherwise, things get blurred and you end up not knowing where you’re supposed to go. Athletes focus on one thing only: winning! To do it, they sacrifice relationships, pastimes, and pleasures. Eugene Peterson describes ‘vision’ this way: ‘If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed’ (v. 18 MSG).

When God gives you a vision, you begin to see things as He sees them. Moses ‘saw’ the promised land while everybody around him saw only wilderness and wanted to give up and return to Egypt (see Hebrews 11:24-27). And he understood that he would get there on God’s schedule, according to God’s plan, one step at a time. Sometimes your vision can feel overwhelming. That’s when you break it down into small steps and visualise yourself taking the next one. You will be surprised at your progress. But until you take the first step, a vision is just a daydream.

A British clergyman named Frederick Langbridge wrote, ‘Two men looked out from prison bars. One saw mud, the other stars.’ What do you see in your future? Do you think God is just going to drop success into your lap? No, you must energise your vision with faith and give it momentum through hard work. After working all night and catching no fish, Jesus told His disciples, ‘Launch out into the deep’ (Luke 5:4 KJV). When they obeyed, they caught their biggest catch ever. Bottom line: the world doesn’t control your supply, God does!

Ezekiel 45-46, 1 Peter 5

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

How to know your calling
24 NOVEMBER 2022

‘He has created us anew…so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.’
Ephesians 2:10 NLT

When God called Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt, Moses first tried doing it his own way. Killing an Egyptian to save an Israelite’s life, he winds up a forty-year fugitive. After living in the wilderness and learning his lesson, he returns to do God’s will – God’s way. All of us, not just church leaders, are called to do God’s will, God’s way. You say, ‘But how can I know what I’m called to do?’ You begin by answering these questions:

1) What are your spiritual gifts? ‘God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts’ (1 Peter 4:10 NLT). Let God show you, through your deepest desires, those core competencies where you’re best suited to serve Him.

2) Are you submitted to someone who can mentor and train you? That’s part of your pastor’s job: ‘Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ’ (Ephesians 4:12 NLT). You need help; you can’t get there by yourself!

3) Are you involved in your local church? ‘Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other’ (Romans 12:4-5 NLT).

4) Are you willing to serve wherever there is a need? ‘Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others’ (1 Peter 4:10 NIV). If you want to know your calling, start serving and God will reveal it to you.

Ezekiel 47-48, 2 Peter 1

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Rekindle your love for Jesus
25 NOVEMBER 2022

‘You have forsaken the love you had at first.’
Revelation 2:4 NIV
Jesus told the church at Ephesus three things:

1) Remember. ‘Remember…from what heights you have fallen’ (v. 5 AMPC). Instead of focusing on the depth to which you have fallen, think about the height you once knew. Not the worst of times, but the best. Recall when spending time in prayer and the Scriptures was the highlight of your day. What were you doing then that you’re not doing now?

2) Repent. This word means to change your mind, your direction, and your actions. You can’t solve a problem with the same thinking and behaviours that caused it; new thinking and actions are required. When the Prodigal Son reached the pigpen, he realised he had hit the bottom. That’s when he said, ‘I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you”’ (Luke 15:18 NKJV). And his father forgave and restored him. How does his story end? He exchanged his rags for the robe of sonship and took his rightful place at the family table. And that can happen for you too.

3) Repeat. ‘Do the things you did at first’ (Revelation 2:5 NIV). Make a list of the things you did when your relationship with the Lord was great, then prayerfully commit yourself to doing them again each day. And don’t wait until you feel like it. Do it until you feel it, until the joy of your first love reignites. Do you doubt that God will be gracious to you? Read this: ‘You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful…rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them’ (Nehemiah 9:17 NLT).

Daniel 1-2, 2 Peter 2

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

You can defeat this giant
26 NOVEMBER 2022

‘This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!’
1 Samuel 17:47 NLT
To defeat giants like addiction, resentment, fear, lust, pride, envy, or anger, you must understand these three Scriptures:

1) ‘The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience’ (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT). Goliath was born a baby, but he grew into a giant. Our giants are often little sins we overlooked and indulged until they assumed a life of their own and came back to haunt us. So as you begin to say no to small impulses, you will gain the strength to say it to bigger ones.

2) ‘As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him’ (1 Samuel 17:48 NLT). David faced Goliath head-on. You must force your giant out into the light, and not let him back into your life. Establish boundaries! And if necessary, make yourself accountable to someone who can strengthen and encourage you. Stay out of the wrong company. And above all, don’t view God in the light of your problem, view your problem in the light of God.

3) ‘This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!’ You’re not in this fight alone. God wants to help you to overcome old habits and establish new behaviours. His will for you is ‘to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own’ (Ephesians 4:1 CEV). When you repent, which means to do an about-face, turn, and resolve to walk with God, He will give you the strength to conquer the giant you’re facing. God has never lost a battle yet, and when you invite Him to join you, you will win.

Daniel 3-4, 2 Peter 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Are you in an abusive relationship?
27 NOVEMBER 2022

‘He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.’
Psalm 147:3 NIVUK

If you’re in an abusive relationship, what should you do?

1) End the relationship if you need to. It’s not your job to change the person. And it’s not a failure on your part if they don’t change when confronted with God’s love and the truth. Here is a promise you can stand on: ‘“I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”’ (Hebrews 13:5-6 NLT).

2) Get help. Solomon said, ‘A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken’ (Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT). If you need group support or a mediator for an intervention, take action – now.

3) Pray for them. Jesus said, ‘Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you’ (Luke 6:27-28 NIV). A study into the theory of a cycle of abuse discovered that approximately 35 per cent of perpetrators had been abuse victims themselves. Often, they’re reacting out of their unhealed wounds and undealt with issues. And while this in no way excuses them, it gives you insight into how to pray for them. Satan loves to use things like alcohol, drugs, anger, pornography, and other counterfeits to destroy relationships. So, pray for your abuser to become the person God intended. ‘He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honour him’ (Psalm 91:15 NKJV).

Luke 22:47-71, Psalms 120-122

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Never compromise on God’s Word
28 NOVEMBER 2022

‘We must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.’
Hebrews 2:1 NKJV

We must constantly reaffirm our scriptural foundations. What are these foundational truths on which the church of Jesus Christ is built? The infallibility of the Bible; Christ’s virgin birth; His sinless life; His atoning death; His bodily resurrection and mediatory work on our behalf; our need to be saved, baptised, and filled with the Holy Spirit; and the commission to carry the gospel to the four corners of the earth and announce the soon return of our Lord Jesus Christ to rule and reign. These truths are non-negotiable!

You say, ‘But won’t we come across as being narrow minded?’ The law of gravity is narrow minded! The law of mathematics is narrow minded! Paul was narrow minded: ‘But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed’ (Galatians 1:8 NKJV). Cancer begins with one unidentified, unchecked cell, but it can destroy your whole body. That’s why Jude writes: ‘Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Jude vv. 3-4 NKJV). Note the words ‘the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints’. Our methods of reaching the world may change, but our message must never change. You say, ‘But aren’t we supposed to love everybody?’ Yes, and that’s why we must never compromise on God’s Word.

Daniel 5-7, 1 John 1